Haha... Born on the Wrong Continent?

This made me giggle. I have a Harry Potter news widget on my macs (yeah, I know) and there was an article posted today saying that Mamma Mia has overtaken the first Harry Potter movie as the highest grossing British film at the UK box office.

I have already confessed that I liked Mamma Mia a little more than I should have considering the numerous elements that were honestly just mediocre. But now I feel like someone looked at my movie shelf and made this list up. 8 out of 10 of the top ten grossing films are movies that I unashamedly love! The two exceptions are Mamma Mia, which I really liked but can't say that I love yet, and Full Monty which I have actually never seen. But read this list and you will see 8 movies that I could (and often do) quote freely.

1. Mamma Mia (Eagerly waiting to buy it)

2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (One of my favorite movies of all time)

3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Hello!)

4. The Full Monty

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Um, Hello!)

6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Again, Hello!)

7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Heck YES!)

8. Bridget Jone's Diary  (Watched this one Sunday)

9. Love Actually (I have watched this movie twice this week)

10. Bridget Jone's: Edge of Reason (Love it, except for the "Like A Virgin" part... a little silly)

So there you go.

In HPs defense though, Mamma Mia wasn't doing so well until they released a sing-a-long version in theaters. I have no idea if I should have put hyphens in the word sing-a-long, but I just did it again, so we will pretend like that is right. I am also offended that I didn't get to see a sing-a-long showing! What's that all about?

Happy Halloween!

Tonight is our church's Fall Festival but for the first time, in my memory at least, we are having a Trunk or Treat! I am excited but also a little worried that my car is not going to transform like I am hoping it will. I thought and thought and THOUGHT about what to do, and the only idea that I ever came up with was to turn the car into a spider, so that is what I'm doing! Last night I sat on my floor and cut open 10 large black trash bags that I am going to, hopefully, use to cover my car tonight. And then I turned 8 trash bags into spider legs. I also bought 3 packages of little eyeball plates that I am going to cover the back window in. I REALLY hope it looks like a spider! I am worried that the tape won't stick to my car because it is kind of dirty! I don't know if I have time to wash it before tonight though.

I was working on a tight budget, so I am not going to be dressed to match my car. I know I am supposed to wear a costume, but I just couldn't spend $50 on this thing! I have 2 trash bags that I might try to turn into arms for me to wear. We'll see how much time I have.

I did come up with a game, but it is super simple! It's called Spider Ball. I have two jack-0-lantern buckets and a spider shaped ball. One bucket will be a foot from the car and one will be 5 feet from the car I suppose. If you throw the ball and miss the buckets, you get 1 piece of candy. If you get it into the close bucket you get 2 pieces of candy and if you get it into the far bucket you get 3 pieces of candy. Yupp. That's the best I could come up with. I bought black balloons and some spider webs that I was thinking I would turn into little spiders, but I don't have anything to put the spider web ON, so there goes that idea. I hope it comes together! Hey! Maybe I can WEAR the spider web and stick some of the little baby spiders in the web. That is kind of a costume!

I hope the other cars are good because it's completely possible that mine will be fairly lame. But I really did try!

A Few Pics From The Big Night!

I only took a few pictures at our engagement celebration dinner and I am only going to post a few from what I took, but I have to give a huge shout out to everyone who came to celebrate with us! It meant so much to me! Thank you Melanie and Jenina and Jeff for helping with the actual proposal. A special thank you has to go out to my favorite out of state Texan, Jeffrey Moss, who drove in from Tulsa to be a part of it all and then drove home after dinner. Thank you so much for being their Jeff. It meant the world to me. And one more thank you to my chicas who couldn't be there, but sent messages with Jenina.

I'm so happy!

To Do List

My To Do list for tonight is a little ambitious, even for me. It has 10 things on it. This morning it had 13 but I took care of 3 of them at lunch today. I'm not feeling overwhelmed just yet because so far, I have been getting a lot done this week. I've sacrificed some sleep, but not so much that I am completely non-functioning during the day. I'm not even yawning! A few of these items can wait until tomorrow if I don't get them done, but tomorrow has it's own To Do list, so the more I get done today, the better! It is 4:30 and I am ready to leave work so I can start the real work!

Brett is still sick =-( I wish I could make him better. He is really miserable.

Just Kidding!

Apparently white shirt are the worst thing you can wear in a picture! haha... I'm glad that I have a few photographer friends. Well that's good... now I don't have to find a white shirt for Brett to wear. I guess it's back to the store for me tonight!

Speaking of Engagement Pictures...

Two of my closest friends are getting married a few weeks before I am. Well, not to each other. Kelly is getting married at the end of January and Jenn is getting married a couple of weeks later. Kelly and her fiance, Steven, just took their engagement pictures and they are SO sweet! Kelly looks gorgeous! AND she is wearing a red shirt, which solidifies my decision of what shirt to wear. I bought two yesterday that I was considering. One is white and one is red. I can't wear red right after Kelly did!

Here are my three favorites of Kel and Steven. GORGEOUS!

Sitting Pretty... I Hope

Brett and I are taking our engagement pictures this weekend. I'm really excited, but a little nervous too. This our first time to take pictures together, so I think that no matter what, we will enjoy it and have a good time. But I have probably never wanted a picture to turn out more in my life! I have been thinking for 2 weeks about what we should wear. There are so many options! When I left work yesterday I went shopping to find a shirt. I bought a few (of course) and I think that I am happy with the one that I have decided on for the picture.

I am so thankful that I trust our photographer so much! She is awesome, and really encouraging, so I think we will be comfortable, even if I start out a little nervous.

As soon as I get the pictures, I will pick one to make a Save The Date out of. I have GOT to get my addresses together!

Poor Brett

It seems like all of Brett's fake coughing last week made him actually sick. Or maybe it was already coming. Poor thing. He feels terrible!

Officially Engaged!

Well, it is past my bedtime on Sunday night, but I can't let the weekend end without posting this blog.

It's official. We are engaged, ring and all! Saturday evening, Brett got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

It was so surreal. I have been waiting for that moment my entire life, at times not believing it would ever come, at times not really wanting it to. But it's always been in my head. I have imagined it a thousand times through the years, with different faces, in different places. In the last 3 years alone, I have imagined Brett's proposal at least 50 different ways. I've always wondered, will I cry? Will he cry? Will we be alone or (gulp) in front of our loved ones? I didn't have any expectations, and there were a million possibilities, but I have to say, in complete honesty, it was perfect. Brett is so amazing. He put so much planning and preparing into the proposal. It was a day I will never forget, and I am so happy, my face is aching from the smiles.

So here is the story.

First, I have to say, he had been setting it up for a couple of weeks. Friday was his regular payday, but last week he came home one day telling me a story about their pay schedule being changed over the holiday months because of an issue with the bank that the company uses. It didn't make sense to me, but I didn't think much of it either. We had too much else going on for me to consider it for long. But all week, he kept saying that he was sad that he wouldn't be able to pay the ring off because his check was being delayed. I felt like he could just be trying to throw me off, but there was no way to know, so I just didn't think about it. He also spent the last few days of the week "getting sick". He played the part well, and I really thought that he was feeling bad. (Actually, he played it a little too well. All of that fake coughing led to an actual cough. hehe... now that's dedication!)

Work was so busy for me last week that when I left on Friday, I realized that I would need to work for a few hours on Saturday. Brett and I originally had planned to go look at a few more apartments on Saturday, but since he was starting to not feel well, or so I thought, we had decided to just take it easy, so I thought if I had to work a little after Weight Watchers, it would be okay. I mentioned this to Brett when we were leaving Bible Study Friday night and he immediately got very still and was silent. So of course, the eager voice inside my head said, PROPOSAL! I back tracked and told him that I could work some other time if he wanted me to stay with him during the day, but he recovered and made sure that I was planning to go early in the day so that we could go to dinner if he was feeling up for it. But I was hopeful that he was up to something!

And then when I got to Brett's apartment, Melanie called me and asked me to pick her up from work at 4:30 the next day because we were going to put her car in the shop. I told her that I wanted to say yes, but I thought that Brett might be proposing on Saturday so I didn't really want to make plans. She told me that she really didn't have any other options and that it wouldn't take long, so I reluctantly agreed. When I told Brett, I expected him to freak out a little like he did in the car when I said I was working, but he reacted completely nonchalantly, so I tried to tell myself to stop thinking about the proposal, because I didn't want to get my hopes up and I couldn't tell if there was something going on, or if I was just being eagerly suspicious.

So Saturday morning I went to Weight Watchers without Brett because he was "too sick" to go. After the meting, I picked up lunch for both of us and then took it to his apartment to eat with him before I went to work for a few hours. When I left his apartment, I went straight to work without going home to change out of my WW clothes. That is the only part of the day that I regret. If I knew that I would be experiencing something that I would always remember, I would have changed into something nicer! Melanie told me that she actually wasn't getting off until 5, so Brett said not to rush and just to come over around 6 when I was done with Mel. Well, when I picked up Melanie she was carrying a bag with a letter R attached to it that had a dozen roses inside. She handed it to me and smiled and told me to take her to the church. I felt so many things all at once! I was nervous, I was embarrassed by my clothes, but mostly I was dazed. But Melanie assured me that everything would be fine and said to just follow the plan and go with the flow. When we got to the church, Jenina was there holding a bag with the letter I on it. It had an I Tunes gift card inside. Jenina said "you're coming with me" so I got in her car and then she told me that we had to stop to pick something up. She took me to Chipotle and who was inside? Jeff Moss. (It sounds random, but that is where we always go to lunch with him when he comes in town). He drove in from Tulsa to be a part of it all. He had a bag with the letter N on it that had an awesome neck massage gadget inside! And then Jeff drove me to the park where Brett was standing holding a bag with the letter G on it and a really cute pair of gloves inside!

When I say "the park" I mean the park where we will be getting married. And guess what? There was a wedding going on. It was so special. He took my hand and started to walk me along the path. I barely remember now what we said while we walked. I thanked him for my gifts and smiled a lot. And then he stopped by a tree and got down on one knee and told me that he loved me. He pulled the ring out of his pocket and said "will you marry me". I couldn't speak. All I could do was nod. But I nodded as happily as I could and I hugged him as tight as I could. Then he whispered "put it on". My hands were shaking so he held them while I took the ring out of the box and put it on my finger. And then some people who were nearby applauded and it was just perfect.

After the park, he took me home so I could change clothes and then took me to dinner at Boston's Pizza Kitchen where about 25 of our friends and family were waiting to celebrate with us. It was so much fun and so special. It really was the perfect proposal for Brett and I. I am so thankful that he loves me enough to want to do special things like that for me.

I have a few pictures from that night that I will post tomorrow. For now, I have to go to bed. Last night my eyes wouldn't stay shut because they wanted to stare at my gorgeous ring. We'll see what happens tonight =-)

I'm Embarrassed

I'm embarrassed because I am crying. What silly thing is Kim crying about, this time? hehe... it's really embarrassing. I just read Edward proposing to Bella. It was so beautiful. My cheeks are hurting because I can't stop smiling and my nose is running because it made me cry. Not sobbing crying, but enough to make my nose run!

A small part of me thinks that Brett is going to propose tomorrow. The same small part of me that has thought that for the last 2 Fridays. I can't help it... I'm eager. I'm not eager for the ring, though I am excited to have a tangible constant reminder that soon we will be married. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE the ring! But I am too nervous about losing the ring to be ecstatic about wearing it. But I AM eager for the proposal. To see Brett get down on one knee and tell me that I am the one he has chosen to love for the rest of his life. And I am eager to be his wife. To not have to leave him on nights like tonight, when he is coughing and sick and doesn't want to be left alone. He looked so sad when I drove away.

We watched a Star Wars movie tonight. The Empire Strikes Back. Our first date was watching a Star Wars movie. Episode 3. It was an accidental date. Brett bought the movie the day that it came out and he invited a group of people over to watch it. It was a week night so only Charlie, Jared and I were able to make it. Brett and I ended up holding hands, which we had done before, but something that night was different. That is the day that we consider the beginning of our relationship, because that is the day that everything changed. I can't believe how far we have come. In 10 days we will be celebrating our 3 year anniversary. Maybe in 11 days I will have a new piece of jewelry and an exciting blog to post, ay?

Blog Stalkers

Okay, this is so weird! I posted two different blogs this week where I referenced an establishment, and then received comments on the blog from that establishment. Is that weird to anyone else? I'm going to pull a MacGyver and use some trickery here so they don't track me down again! I am referring to ekaL looP eoJ and ladirB sdivaD.

I just think that's weird! They must have people who just randomly police the internet so they can track what people are saying about them. I felt a little violated with the first comment, but now that it happened twice in one week, it's kind of blowing my mind! Not that I consider something that I'm posting on the internet "private", but still... it feels strange!

Day of Fun!

Today was so great! Melanie, Laura, Jenna and I went on a mission to find bridesmaid dresses. (I would say "to find the perfect bridesmaid dress", but I think it's an Urban Legend).

Mel told me Tuesday night that Laura and Jenna were going to go with her to Alfred Angelo and David's Bridal so she could see what the colors look like in reality rather than virtual reality. I REALLY wanted to go! I have been stressing about dresses for my girls because I feel like I should have started this process a month ago! And who better to get opinions from than my sisters?! So I worked extra hard at work on Wednesday and at the end of the day I asked my boss if I could work from home today (Thursday). Once in a while we have projects that I work on that really can be done from any computer because rather than working with customer's files, I am creating files. I told her I had an errand that I would like to run but the time frame was a little fuzzy. My thinking was I could work for a couple of hours last night, a few hours today and a few hours tonight. Well, she was super gracious and said yes!

So here was my day:

I slept until, wait for it... 9:00!!! It was WONDERFUL and seriously needed rest! Then I took a quick shower and sat down to do another spread in my scrapbooks. Jenna had an early morning hair appointment and Melanie had a Spanish lab so we were planning on leaving around lunch time. Well, Melanie is brilliant and realized that we would be shopping in the same city where one of the few remaining Panchos is still in business. Let me tell you, we are a Panchos family! It broke my heart when the one in Irving closed a few months ago! I crave it every time I drive by it! Brett is not that much of a fan though, so it is not a place that we would think to go when we go out.

Lunch was great! The owners of the Irving Panchos are now running the Panchos in Hurst, so not only did I get that delicious food that I have missed so much, I got to see those friendly faces that I have been concerned about since our location closed. It is good to know they are still making the world a better place through Tex-Mex and pinatas. Unfortunately, our waiter couldn't help himself and flirted a little too much with Jenna. I think we were all a little embarrassed for him. The flirting didn't go so well.

After lunch we went to David's Bridal. We found a really cute dress that would be perfect for Mel's bridesmaids, and we even bullied her into trying on a few dresses. She is gorgeous! All of the dresses were pretty, but the third one she tried on was really stunning. It cost more than she was planning to spend, but it really was beautiful on her, so I think she's going to keep it in mind.

Unfortunately, the color that I was thinking for my bridesmaids was nowhere to be found at David's Bridal. Alfred Angelo, which we visited after DB, had a color that was really close to what I had in mind, but their dresses are slightly pricier, and I really didn't see any that I liked. I have been to the website but it is not organized as well as the David's Bridal site. I'm still not really sure what to do about dresses, but I am at least starting to think about it!

I may recruit a bridesmaid (ahem, Jennifer? After Weight Watchers? Interested?) to come with me to a couple of shops that I've heard about this Saturday. I still haven't tried on my dress, but I'm sure I will this weekend. I'm so excited!

I had so much fun with my sisters today. I'm extremely thankful that it worked out for me to go. There is no one in the world I would rather laugh with than those three.

Mel and I even stopped at Starbucks on the way home! She bought my drink AND she gave me $9! She is crazy. Every time she eats some of the WW ice cream bars that I buy she insists on giving me money to buy more. Well that's very nice, but they don't cost $9!!! And I always buy them expecting to share! Crazy.

I got a good amount of work done after all of the activities. Not quite as much as I had hoped, but hopefully enough that my boss won't regret letting me do this. It wasn't 8 hours, like I had planned, but it was 6 hours and I have 60 files to show for it. Not too shabby.

Goodness

8 months or so ago, Brett officially started to look for a new job when he was held up taking the deposit from the Game Stop where he worked to the bank. As of last night, that store has now been robbed 5 times this year.

Are you kidding me?!?

I am so glad that he is not working there anymore, but we still have friends there! I wish they had safer jobs. I wish that part of Irving were safer.

=-(

Two Things

1. I didn't realize that my new shoes are a little too big. 

How am I supposed to tell how well they fit when they are tied together in the store with that little piece of elastic? I can only take baby steps! These are SO not supposed to be flip flops, but they aren't staying on my feet when I walk, so there is a little flopping going on. Oh well. I'll try to walk slow today so I don't fall on my face. No bruises a week and a half before engagement pictures!

2. 5 months from today, Brett and I will be waking up in San Diego =-)

The wedding is 5 months from yesterday, and I didn't realize it until Nikki was asking me wedding questions at Starbucks last night. I should be trying on the first sample dress tonight or tomorrow night. I was looking for ways to save money and I decided that since my mom is totally capable of making my dress, that I should ask her to do it. So a couple of months ago, my mom, my maid of honor, my niece and I went to Joann Fabrics and picked out 3 dresses that we liked. She is going to make each one in cheap fabric for me to try on and see if we like on them. She started with our favorite and it should be ready tonight or tomorrow. I can't wait to try it on! I hope I don't look hideous! I'm really nervous that I will look stupid, no matter how pretty the dress that we end with is. But this pattern was SO pretty! I really hope we like it.

Right now I need to be focusing on 2 things for the wedding. First, I need to finish gathering addresses because we will be sending out Save The Dates in a few weeks.

Also, it is SO time to get bridesmaid dresses figured out! My plan was to pick a color at David's Bridal and give the girls the option of buying one of the dresses in that color, or having my mom make a dress in the same color. But either way, it is time to figure it out! Dresses take time to get from David's Bridal, and time to make by hand! So I need to get on the ball. I am going to figure it out this weekend.

The official proposal should come any day now. I'm so excited  =-) I'm excited about the ring, but mostly about the official. I am so in love =-) I am so ready to be married to Brett. To see him smile every morning when I wake up and to fall asleep to his snoring every night.

Hopefully I will be posting the proposal story soon, so stay tuned!

I Love a Good Book!

Okay, so, I'm kind of embarrassed that I am slightly obsessed with a series that was written for adolescents... again. But only sort of. I am enjoying the Twilight series so much that I can't feel regret about it. 

It's different than Harry Potter. Typically, it is characterization that holds me to a story, more than setting and plot. I loved all of the characters from the Harry Potter books, particularly Hagrid and the Weasley family, but it was the world that J.K. Rowling created that really fascinated me. The way things were bewitched to function on their own in the Weasley home... the way that the subjects were animated in pictures... the way there were magic things, like The Leaky Cauldron, hidden just around the corner, out of site from Muggles, but never far away. It was exciting! And she painted a beautiful picture that my mind was hungry for. I devoured those books. They kept me up at night every time I read them. Not just the first time I read them, but even now, when I re-read Prisoner of Azkaban for the 10th time, I can't just stop in the middle of a chapter. It's impossible! Half of the time I can't stop at the end of the chapter!

I am enjoying the stories in the Twilight series so far, but it is the characters that have me hooked. The two main characters, Bella and Edward, are great. They leave me smiling for at least an hour after I put the book down. Their love is so familiar. The way they kiss goodbye, the way the world around them fades when they are together. It is all the best parts of being in love, and reading their story takes me to mine. In that way, these books have been a gift. They make me dreamy about Brett =-) But it is the side characters that I am really attached to. Alice and Jacob and Emmett and Charlie and, increasingly more, Rosalie. I enjoy them so much!

I love reading a good book. I love being a few minutes later for work because I couldn't stop reading. I love not realizing how tired I am at night until I put the book down at a completely unreasonable hour for a work night! I love laughing out loud and crying til it hurts while I turn the pages and breath in that new book smell.

My point is, good book = good times! Woohoo for good books!

Wow! What A Weekend!

Okay, first I have to say, goodness, I am tired! But I had a really amazing Friday and Saturday!

Everything went well at the reception site. We are officially on the books for March 21, 2009. That means that five months from this coming Tuesday I will be walking down the aisle (bridge, in my case) and saying "I do", and then heading down the street to celebrate with my closest friends and family. I'm so excited! I have a lot to do over the next five months, but right now, at this moment, I can honestly say that I am looking forward to every minute of it.

When I finished at the reception site on Friday, I went home and addressed some invitations to Kelly's shower and then I left to enjoy a few hours of my glorious day off! I first went to one of my favorite restaurants for lunch, something that I love to do on my days off (I feel so grown up when I eat a meal in public by myself). Then I ran into Ross to look for something warm to wear at the camp out. I came out $50 lighter but with a light coat that I will use all winter, a rockin' pair of brown heals that are perfect for wearing with jeans, and a new purse that I LOVE! Brett bought me a really great purse a month or so ago, but after rejoining Weight Watchers, I had a lot more things that needed to fit inside my purse, so I needed something larger. It was money that I shouldn't have spent, but 3 things that I am going to get a LOT of use out of! Then after checking Barnes and Noble for Eclipse (book 3 baby... which they didn't have) I did my grocery shopping and filled up with gas. I felt very productive!

On my way home though I got a surprising phone call. Brett's mom was in the hospital. Two or so years ago, she developed a severe milk allergy. Her reactions can be terrible, but she has learned to avoid them fairly well. She always carries Benadryl with her, and she monitors everything that she eats. But they had a pot-luck at her work on Friday and something that she sampled had some surprise dairy in it. She reacted immediately and it was severe. Severe enough that they wanted to keep her in the hospital overnight for observations. So I dropped off my groceries and rushed to Brett's so we could go see her and make sure everything was okay.

After that, I went home to pack for the camp out. Our Sunday School class goes camping every fall at Joe Pool lake, and this was the weekend we chose this year. It was perfect timing! The weather was just right! It was really chilly, but we huddled around the fire and roasted hot dogs and made smores and it was so nice! I'm not a camper, so I was honestly looking forward to and dreading it in equal measures. But we had a great team plan it and put it all together, and now I feel crazy for not being anything but excited about it. It was SO much fun! It was also the last event that Kelly and Steven, a couple in our class, would participate in before their wedding in a few months. So we had a time of affirmation for Kelly, Steven and Alexis, Kelly's daughter, after we had all eaten and hung out for awhile. It was a really special time and I think that I will always remember it. We cut off the affirmations a little after 1:00 in the morning, and then we were all up for another couple of hours. I woke up sometime between 4:00 and 5:00 in the morning dying to go to the bathroom! I really didn't want to walk up the hill in the freezing cold by myself to use the restroom, but I also didn't want to wet my sleeping bag! So I crawled out of the tent as quietly as I could, and guess what I saw walking between our tent and Leslie's?... A SKUNK! I've never seen a live skunk in person before. It was so cute! But I admired it from a distance as I sped off to the bathroom hoping I didn't startle it into spraying. It was too dark to take pictures Friday night, but I will post a few from our morning time on Saturday.

After the camp out I took Brett home so he could go check on his mom, and then I headed over to Kelly and Alexis's apartment to help with the move. They have officially relocated to Coppell now. I am so sad that they are gone. But Steven is a really great guy and I am filled with joy by the thought of Kelly continuing her life with such a Godly guy.

After the move, I was officially disgusting! So I ran home to take a shower and then came to Brett's. We took a post-camp out recovery nap and then headed to Lewisville to run some errands and go to dinner. We not only had the tastiest dinner we have had in months, we also: 1. Found the games that he was looking for to give to his best friends kids for Christmas

2. Found replacement blades for my cutter that I have searched high and low for!

3. Found the book that I was looking for and couldn't find on Friday

4. Found a movie that I always keep my eye out for but can only ever find the sequel of, for $6!

It was such a good weekend.

Now I have some work to do, but I had to blog first so I could move past the fun and start thinking about the new week. I am going to do a logo design before prayer and praise and then hopefully go home and do pages 6 and 7 of my 3 Christmas scrapbooks that I am working on for the open house! If I can finish them this week, I will have PLENTY of time to make a sample baby book, college book and tons of Christmas decorations.

Woohoo!

Here are a few pics from this weekend.

The Room To Myself

John, who I share an office with, is off today. He and his wife took the day off to relax and go to the Fair. Nice =-)

I like John a lot, but I love when I have the room to myself because I can listen to whatever music I want as loudly as I want.

I also don't get bored when John is off. He and I carry most of the work load here, so when he is gone, I have twice the amount of work to do. Some days it's overwhelming, and sometimes it makes the day speed by. Today has been really busy! No down time. But it is still not as late as I think it should be. Maybe because I am off tomorrow?

There will be a wedding post SOON (I know I have said that before) because tomorrow I am booking the reception site, so that will determine our timeline.

Okay, back to jamming!

My Favorite Month!

I LOVE October. Fall is my favorite season and this week I am starting to feel it getting closer. It was nice and cool when I walked out of my house this morning. I wear sweaters to work pretty much year round, because our office is freezing, but today my sweater felt good outside!

Here are the ten things that I love best about October:

1. Weather

This is an obvious one for us Texans. Summers are brutal! September brings rains that make it steamy and soggy outside, but October brings in cool breezes that dry things up and take the temperature down. I LOVE it!

2. The State Fair of Texas

The fair can be overwhelming if you aren't enthusiastic about going, but it really is a one of a kind experience. The games, the displays, the fried food (I love me some corn dogs!) and, my favorite part, the MUSICAL! These days, if I don't have tickets to the musical, you probably won't catch me going to the fair, but I am still excited every year when I know it is up and running.

3. SWEATERS

I love a good sweater! I am thrilled every October when they start to pop up in stores.

4. Football Season

I'm not really a football watcher now, but when I was a student at Crockett Junior High, football season was TOPS! There are few memories that can compete with those afternoons after school. We huddled on the metal bleachers and screamed for our super stars. We were all still young enough to be friends. The players were my friends, the cheerleaders were my friends, the mascot was my friend, and I yelled my head off supporting each and every one of them. I will never forget Matt Butts standing up in front of the cheerleaders and doing the "hold on, wait a minute, let me put some BOOM in it!" moves. It was funny when he was my friend, and then embarrassing when he was my boyfriend, and not heartwarming to remember. I will always treasure those memories.

5. Candy Corn

I LOVE candy corn! And in October, you can't escape it. It is front and center in every grocery store, gas station, Hallmark and even department stores. Thank goodness it's not that available year round! I couldn't resist it for 12 whole months! But I will indulge once or twice in October.

6. Pumpkin Scented Candles

I LOVE all things pumpkin! It is my favorite scent, and I love to snag them when they are in stores this time of year.

7. Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

Did I mention that I love all things pumpkin? This drink is TO DIE FOR! I mean, it blows my mind! They are so choice! If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. I wish I had one right now...

8. Halloween

Halloween is my second favorite holiday. I enjoy it SO much! I LOVE the costumes! I LOVE how children look forward to (and parents dread) the candy. I LOVE passing out candy! I love the party that my college friends throw every year. It's greatness!

9. Christmas Decorations

Halloween is my second favorite holiday, but my all time, look forward to it all year, can't imagine life without it holiday is CHRISTMAS! The Halloween decorations in the stores are exciting, but what excites me MORE is the row of Christmas decorations that is behind all of the rows of Halloween decor, just waiting to take over when the time is right!

10. October = Beginning of Holiday Season

Halloween is great, Christmas is my favorite, Thanksgiving is so special, and New Years is encouraging. I love October because it kicks off Holiday Season. This is such a joyful time of year. It can be stressful when I don't manage my money well, and this year will be exceptional tricky because I still have LOTS of wedding stuff to pay for. But still, I am happy that we are facing the Holidays.

In conclusion, WOOHOO for October!!!

Quick Madi Story

This weekend my family decorated the house for Halloween. Mostly the living room inside. My mom told me last night that every time she and Madi hung something up Madi would say "I hope this scares the little children!"

What? I laughed so hard when my mom told me this! I'm laughing right now typing it! She said it when they put up the spider web, "I hope this scares the little children", she said it when they taped a smiling witch to the front door, "I hope this scares the little children", and even when they put up the little teddy bears dressed in Halloween costumes. What in the world is she talking about? Madi IS "the little children"! What little children is she referring to? And why does she hope they get scared?

Oh goodness. The giggles!

Apartment Hunting update

A couple of people have asked, so I thought I would write a quick post.

Apartment hunting was FUN! We started in the area that we know we would prefer and 2 out of 3 that we visited were totally affordable. Neither of those 2 had a 2 bedroom available for viewing, but we saw the 1 bedrooms at both. They were both great complexes, and one of them had AAA down as a "preferred employer" so we would get some fees waived when we applied. Neato! That one was quite a bit smaller than the other two though. Size and price are our two biggest deciding factors, so it definitely matters!

There is a ton more to see, and we are going to keep looking, but the first day was great and I'm no longer worried about any arguments.

I can't wait to look again!

Ugh!

I'm supposed to be working right now, but I really want to be in bed!

This is my last night house sitting and I have done a LOT of work this weekend! I stayed at the house all day today and finished the 10 6x6 books. That is all that I got done this weekend but I must have spent 20 hours on them. 200 pages in 20 hours... Not bad! My blade is dull now, so I will need to get a new one before I start on the other books. Here is what I have left to do for the Holiday Open House:

• 3 8x8 pre-made Christmas themed scrapbooks

• 1 sample baby book

• 1 sample generic book (I'm going to use college pictures for that one, I think)

• Christmas Ornaments (I'm not sure how many it will be, but I think I can get them done in a few nights)

• Business cards for my sister and I to give out that day

• A flier for me to give out that day

I have just over a month to get all of that done. I'm really looking forward to it! And I think that if I do it a little at a time, it won't be a big deal. I will do the other 3 Christmas books first since that is what I started with and I am totally familiar with all of my stock at the moment.

Right now I am supposed to be working on birth announcements and Christmas cards for a new paper line that we are starting at work. My boss told me if I wanted to do some designs over the weekend I could get some overtime for it. I would love some overtime! But I wanted to do the books first. And now I am ready for bed. Have I mentioned that these people have the worlds most comfortable bed? It's really glorious. And it's calling me. I can see it through the window right now...

What to do, what to do...

So Excited!

Brett and I are going to look for at apartments today! It is our first time and I am really excited. 

I was slightly nervous earlier in the week because I feel like a decision this big has a lot of little things that bring with them the potential for an argument. I mean, who isn't picky about where they live? (Other than college guys) I LOVED the last apartment that I lived in, so I may be difficult to please... I'm kind of a snob about where I live. Not in the sense that I need to BE somewhere fancy, but it's important that I come home to a place that I like.

But today I am not feeling any anxiety, just excitement. His lease is up at the end of January so he will probably move the week before then (to give us time to clean his apartment). So we are taking a few months to take our time and try to find something that really suits us. 

We know that we want to live in Las Colinas, but it's been quite a while since I have looked at apartments over there, so I have no idea what the pricing is up to these days. There is no way that he and I could fit all of our things into a one bedroom, but possible a one bedroom with a study. Most likely, we need a two bedroom. I hope that the prices aren't shocking. I feel like since no one is buying houses, apartments will be in demand, which means prices are high. But we will see. Whatever happens, I'm glad that we are starting the hunt!

Woohoo!

A Fairly Productive Night

Last night worked out really well. The dogs played and let me work, for the most part.

One of the things that I found at Hobby Lobby yesterday is a 10 page 6x6 Christmas album. They were only $2.99 so I bought all 10 that were on the shelf. I am going to make 10 sets of 10 pages, so the books will be mostly identical. 5 of them have striped covers and 5 of them have polka dot covers. And they will have some different stickers and lettering, but they will match as far as paper designs go. Last night I did 10 front pages and I think they turned out pretty cute! I will feel good if I can finish those 10 books while I am house sitting. I think I can do it. The front pages took a while because I put "Christmas 2008" on each page and that was time consuming. The rest of the pages probably won't have lettering. Probably. So they should be quicker.

It was fun! I am looking forward to working on them again!

I also have three 20 page 8x8 books that will be Christmas books. I would like to start them this weekend, but if I don't, that's okay. I've still got time.

Have I mentioned how comfortable the bed I am sleeping in is? Oh goodness... it's WONDERFUL! It was not easy to get out of bed this morning. That's a nice problem to have.

Hobby Lobby

Well, it turns out there is a Hobby Lobby about 15 minutes from my work. So I went there on my lunch break today to look for holiday paper and stickers. I am really happy with everything that I found, but I am NOT spending any more money on this Holiday Open House. I hope that I make my money back and get some scrapbook orders. I need to make a business card and flier now.

I'm excited about scrapbooking tonight! I hope the dogs don't freak out.

One Down, Four To Go

The first night of house sitting was GREAT!

The guy that I share an office with was talking about the dog whisperer a few weeks ago and something that he heard on that show about how to get dogs to listen to you. I decided to give it a try last night, and it worked! The dogs were great! The cat is so sweet! I need to not pet her because I will sneeze like crazy if I get too close, but I couldn't resist this morning. As I was making my lunch she walked up on the counter and gave me the sweetest, "why are you ignoring me" sad eyes! So I gave her some goodbye pets, blew my nose three times, and was off!

I have a list of things I would like to get done while I am house sitting. Last night I changed my blog design. I'm sure it will change every couple of months or so. I am starting to purchase files to do digital scrapbooking so I have fun things to play with!

This morning I went to the Hobby Lobby website and discovered that there is one fairly close to where I am staying in Dallas, so I will be going there tonight and beginning to work on some Christmas books for the Open House. At least that is what I am thinking... it might be better for me to do some more computer work tonight and wait until Saturday and Sunday to scrapbook... I can't decide. But I will think about it today. I will DEFINITELY go to the store so I am prepared to start whenever I decide the time is right.

I'm so glad it is Thursday! I am ready for the weekend. Brett and I are apartment hunting. Woohoo! And I'm hoping to have a good loss this week when I weigh in at Weight Watchers Saturday morning. I have a goal of what I would like to lose by the new year, and I hope it is reasonable!

New Design

Do you like it?

Wrestlemania It Ain't!

I have to just say, I don't understand wrestling as a sport. I am working on the Lake Highlands wrestling insert, and I just don't get it. Guys in leotards rolling around on the ground in the most unfortunate positions, and for what? What really is the point of wrestling? A test of toughness I suppose, but that in itself seems so pointless to me.

I just don't get it.

And these pictures make me uncomfortable!

Hip Hip Hooray for Housesitting!

I am starting to house sit when I leave work today for a couple that goes to our church. They live in Dallas fairly close to my work. I have house sat (that sounds weird, but I think it's the right terminology?) for them a couple of times before and I really enjoy their house. Their dog, Lucy, is really sweet. They have a new puppy that I haven't met, but I'm sure it will just as nice. I'm allergic to cats, but for the most part, their cat just sits back and watches me, so it's not too bad.

I decided to take advantage of my time away from home for a few days (5 days, 5 nights) to get some work done. So in my car right now is clothes for 5 days and all that goes along with that, some groceries, most of my scrapbooking supplies, all of the things that I bought to make Christmas ornaments, some of my wedding books, and a few other things. It's crazy! I know that I say this every time that I house sit, but it really does look like I'm moving in! I guess I am moving in for a few days...

But I really hope that I get a lot done. I'm looking forward to that big fluffy bed and gorgeous master bathroom.

Crazy Stuff!

I am reading through the Old Testament right now, and seriously... there is some crazy stuff in there! A few weeks ago I read a human sacrifice in Judges. A man went to battle and told God that when he got home he would honor the Lord by offering a burnt sacrifice to Him of whatever came out of the house to greet him on his journey home. And then when he got home his daughter came out to welcome him home so he burned her to death as an offering to God! He wasn't happy about it, and he told his daughter the truth and she told him he had to keep his promise to God, but it was crazy! I was waiting for God to pull an Isaac and provide a ram for the sacrifice, but nope. The girl died.

And this morning I finished 1 Samuel. King Saul was going to battle with the Philistines and he was scared. Samuel was already dead so Saul went to a "medium" and had her raise Samuel's spirit from the dead so he could talk to Samuel about whether or not he would win the battle.

I mean, I've read several stories that were... well, let's just say, if it were fiction, it wouldn't be a book I read. I don't like barbarism, and these stories are all really fierce.

But I have never read through the Bible front to back. It has been very interesting so far. I'm a long way from Matthew, but I am looking forward to the New Testament. I have a feeling that by the time I finish Malachi I will be in serious need of some Jesus! But for now, I am excited about starting 2 Samuel tomorrow.

Project Jeff

So, this is the project that I was working on last week. My BFF Jeff moved to Oklahoma about 6 months ago, and we really miss him at church! His birthday is tomorrow, so we decided to make him an elaborate birthday card to show him how much we miss him. We all got together and took some group pictures and then I photoshopped Jeff into all of the pictures and wrote captions making up stories about what Jeff did that day wherever we were.

We gave him the book yesterday. It turned out pretty funny and he appreciated the effort.

Some of these pictures are hilarious! I had 7 or 8 Jeff pictures that I outlined to add him into the group photos. Some of them look semi natural and some of them are SO obviously altered. I only had one full body shot of Jeff, so it is in a few of the pictures. And some of them are Jeff from an outside picture added into an inside picture, so those are funny. I thought I would share them with you. And before you ask, yes, I realize there is no meat on the grill. But I wrote it into the story!

Remember the Time...

I must be more tired than I realized because, now that I am trying to post a blog, I can't seem to make sense of any of my thoughts. But I did something really cool tonight, so I want to talk about it! Forgive my ramblings... bare with me!

I spent an hour or so tonight looking through a box of pictures that I haven't been through in quite some time! I have a couple of picture projects that I need to start working on, and Brett is in Waxahachie with one of his BFFs, Gary, whose wife is out of town for the weekend, so I decided to get started. It was amazing! So many wonderful pictures of wonderful memories that I had forgotten about.

I'm a pretty sentimental gal and the whole wedding thing has kind of kicked all of that into high gear. I remember the summer before I left for my freshman year of college. Everything that I did seemed to have meaning. Nothing was insignificant because it all felt so final. I knew that I was closing a chapter of my life and preparing to begin a new one. My home was beginning to feel less like home and more like a temporary resting place. Well, now, I am back at home, which I never thought in a million years would be the case, and I am again preparing to begin a new chapter of my life. The wedding is a little less than 6 months away and my nights in the house are numbered. Occasionally that thought brings me relief, often it brings me anxiety, but right now, at this moment, it is almost hard to wrap my head around. I am feeling like I did 9 years ago when I was 18 and shopping for dorm decorations. I feel vulnerable because I have no idea what to expect and I am fully aware that I can not even come close to being fully prepared. I am feeling a little brave for taking such a huge leap of faith. Faith in God, that he has plans to prosper me and not to harm me, faith in myself that I am following God's will and not my own, and faith in Brett that he is going to take care of me and love me for the rest of my life. (A tall order!) And I am also feeling a little sad. Sad about saying goodbye to a life that has brought me so much joy.

Being single is not always easy. In fact, it is mostly not easy. When you are single there is no one around to share your responsibilities. Every decision is yours and yours alone and every consequence that comes from a bad decision will be carried 100% by you.

But my years as a single adult have been full of blessings. Full of trials and tribulations, of course, but also full of blessings. And looking at those pictures tonight made me so thankful. Thankful for every roommate I have ever had. Thankful for every trip I have ever taken. Thankful for every laugh I have shared with my family... it is hard to let go.

But that's life. People change and people move on. My single girlfriends will still be my friends after we are all married. And the old pictures, from college and from Christmas parties and birthday parties and Halloween parties, will be replaced by new pictures. Pictures of wedding showers and house warming parties and baby showers.

At least that is what I am telling myself.

I Heart Christmas!!!

I'm sorry. I can't help it. I am one of those people who listens Christmas music pretty much year round and is thrilled when I start to see Christmas decor in the store. 

This year I have been invited to participate in a Holiday Open House where I will be handing out scrapbooking fliers and, hopefully, selling some homemade Christmas ornaments! I went to Hobby Lobby with Jennifer last night and bought supplies to make 50 or so ornaments. Some of them are small and will be sold in sets, but I REALLY hope that people like them and buy them! 

All of the ornaments were 40% off last night so I feel like I got a really good deal. I had to invest a little money, but I think that I can make 3 times what I spent so I will make back what I spent and then have a little wedding money to boot! That is what I am hoping anyways. We'll see what happens.

But oh how fun it was to walk through the Christmas section that is up and running at the Hobby Lobby in Grapevine. I LOVE that store! I wish there were still one in Irving! Come back to us Hobby Lobby!

Can't Hit 'em, Can't Lay Off 'em

Do you have any movie quotes that, for whatever reason, have stuck in your head and you find yourself saying them when the situation is right? I have several. For example, anytime I am waiting to see if something will happen, like begging a red light to turn green because I need to go to the bathroom, I say "Come on Schwartz" like Lonestar, Barf, Princess Vespa and Dot say when they are trying to switch the vacuum from suck to blow. Or when I find something I have been looking for I either sing "I found it" like Cera does when she thinks she has found the Great Valley, or I say "Ah haha haha. Here it is, here it is" like Mary Poppins says when she finds her tape measure.

Well today I am saying "Can't hit 'em, can't lay off 'em" like Dottie says about Kit when they are at the big game at the end of the movie. Have you ever had a Fiber One bar? They are awesome! I love granola bars of all kind. Fiber One bars are SUPER tasty granola bars that are a good size and, because they are high in fiber, they are only 2 points. So they have been my granola bar of choice since I discovered them several months ago. The only thing is, they hurt my stomach. I mean, really bad. So I know that I shouldn't eat them. But it's just one of those things... I can't take it, but I can't lay off it! I love Fiber One bars!

Thankfully, I have discovered an alternative to my tasty Fiber Ones. Weight Watchers makes a granola bar that is called the Sweet and Salty bar. It is different... no chocolate... but really good. They are smaller than Fiber One bars, but not so small that I eat one and don't feel fed. They are satisfying, and for only two points, a decent snack. I will be buying more on Saturday!